To avoid and discourage theft automobile owners have resorted to a variety of protective devices including the use of alarms.
However, there is a difficulty with alarms because they fail to distinguish between unauthorized entry and an inadvertent mistake. It is known, for example, that auto alarms can be easily set off by an accidental tap of the bumper or a pedestrian's inadvertent nudge. Such occurrences can be embarrassing and time-consuming to correct and experience has shown that they occur with more frequency than bona fide attempts at surreptitious entry.
Moreover, battery powered alarms can be circumvented because they depend for their efficacy on cables which can be easily interrupted. In addition, such alarm systems are relatively expensive to install and they required maintenance and period inspection.
For these reasons, many automobile owners, particularly those having a prestige or luxury car, tend to use an indoor facility or a parking lot which employs an attendant. However, such alternatives are not always available, convenient or reliably supervised and the cost for such services can be prohibitively expensive when used on a regular basis.
Accordingly, there is a need for a locking device which is inexpensive, reliable and relatively simple to install and remove.